Hope
by OniZenmaru
Summary: Shingeki no Kyojin AU. Yuri believes he made the wrong call. Flynn reminds him of the harsh reality they face.


**A/N:** Another request, hope you enjoy!

Flynn only has one rule: when the mission is over Yuri is top priority. So when he hears '_all the titans have been taken care of_' he wastes no time zipping away on his 3D maneuver gear. The town is a mess, and it only makes him worry more. He crosses building after building while looking for some kind of sign of his friend. Long hair, his arrogant voice, him doing some stupid move with his gear, _anything_.

It's times like this that he wonders why he lets the boy out of his sight, wonders why he hadn't been more forceful about him joining the Military Police. They had gotten into a fistfight about it, because Flynn selfishly wanted his friend to stay safe and away from the monsters that had killed their family and friends. Yuri had been right in getting angry, because Flynn still wanted to join the Scouting Legion.

Flynn had wanted to serve the people, not the king, and there was no better way to do this than kill the titans themselves. Yuri had wanted to do the same, which was why he was so angry with him. He was pretty much telling his childhood friend to give up on his reason for joining the military in the first place, forcing him to live a comfortable life away from danger. It was wrong of him, but…Flynn couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

Even if Flynn himself died while fighting a titan, he could've died in peace knowing that Yuri was okay…and Yuri had beaten him twice has hard for saying that.

"Yuri!" He shouts when he notices the person he's looking for below him, just standing in one spot.

His landing is a little off so he stumbles a bit, but doesn't care because _Yuri is okay_. He rushes over to his side, though it isn't until he's standing next to his now found friend that he freezes. There lying against the wall was the half-eaten corpse of one of their comrades from training, and Flynn isn't sure what he should be doing in that moment. Comfort Yuri? What if he doesn't want to be touched? Does he just stand there and wait?

"I…" Yuri's voice is strained with he speaks, "I…fucked up."

"Yuri-?"

"I fucked up and gave the wrong order…and now he's dead." He sees the boy bite his bottom lip, and Flynn knows just how much his friend is suffering.

Yuri is a lone wolf; he likes to do things by himself and has a problem relying on anyone that isn't named Flynn Scifo. He doesn't do this for juvenile reasons, Yuri just doesn't like to play leader…because he's scared of fucking up. His longtime friend would freely put his life on the line to do what was needed…but when it came to putting someone else's life on the line…

He can't imagine the amount of hurt Yuri feels…

"I should've…I should've done it myself, I had no right to send him off to his death. This isn't right, Flynn, this isn't…I should be the one-"

Flynn doesn't allow him to finish that sentence. His hand comes up to strike Yuri across the cheek, the sting his fist feels is nothing compared to the pain in his chest. Grabbing the boy's jacket, Flynn brings him into a tight embrace; wishing things hadn't come to this. Yuri is strong, but Yuri is also human.

"Don't you dare, Yuri…I don't know if you made the right call, but right now it's your- no…_our_ duty to keep going so his death won't be in vain." It's a hard thing for him to say, but so sadly true.

The only thing they could do was keep going, with not only the weight of their comrades but of all the innocent civilian deaths on their shoulders. They are soldiers, and it is the cross they must bear. Yuri brings his head up to press their foreheads together, and as he looks into his eyes Flynn see the inner turmoil swirling inside of him. However, he also sees determination, and it's enough to bring a small smile to his face.

"Sorry…for freaking out."

"It's fine, I understand."

The two of them linger there for a moment, just basking in each other's warmth. When he feels Yuri intertwine their fingers, he squeezes them a little, body leaning in ever so slightly so that their lips were barely touching. Flynn backs off because he knows they should move on, because the chance of titans still wandering around is still there.

They instantly pull apart the moment they hear the voice of one of their superiors, his face bright red as he tries to give them a rundown of the situation. From the corner of his eye he can see Yuri snickering at him. When they're told to report back to HQ the both of give a 'yes sir' in unison, but don't immediately follow after them. He sees Yuri staring at their fallen comrade again; a sad smile on his lips as he salutes, something Yuri hates doing unless it's necessary.

When he finally relaxes, Flynn takes his hand, the two of them merely standing there in a comfortable silence as the seconds ticked away.

"…I'll race you back."

"Yuri, that's a terrible waste of the gas we have left- hey!" Before he can even finish Yuri is in the air, taunting him.

It's childish and stupid…but Flynn has never been the kind of person to back down when Yuri challenged him to something. The two of them would probably be scolded later one, but that's fine, because Yuri is safe and by his side. Flynn isn't sure how far the two of them would make it in the world, or if that'd be alive to see humanity defeat the titans…but whatever was to come they'd face it…

_Together_.


End file.
